THE POWER OF REPENTANCE

I recently heard a series of sermons on King David, the teacher seemed to major on his adultery and the murder of Uriah, and that David  had a constant struggle with sin after that. I am not downplaying David’s sins, but want to emphasise the power of repentance.
Repentance means to turn around  or change, it means:
A change of mind  Recognising what is a sin in the sight of God
A change of direction  Walking away and NOT returning to that sin
A change of attitude  Recognising we serve a holy God, who wants us to be holy.
A change of affection  Like Paul, the things we once loved we now hate, and the things we once hated we now love.
When the Prophet Nathan confronted David, he prayed an awesome prayer of repentance.
He recognised he had sinned against God, , but comes to a God of grace and love, , and asks God to wash away his sin.
Although he had sinned against other humans, David recognised his sin was especially against God Himself. David recognises too the Justice of God and was willing to accept his punishment. David recognises he was born with a sinful nature, and that God could see the inner recesses of his heart, and again David prays wash me, purge me, so I can be as white as snow, that he could again rejoice in His God for His forgiveness and blessing up his life
David says I want to make a fresh start, I want to live a Holy life, he wants the Holy Spirit to continue to reside and preside in him. He remembers the  unspeakable joy that comes from being forgiven, that God would use him to warn others who have crossed the line that they can and must return.
David knew that it was useless to go through hypocritical religious motions and offer animal sacrifices, the sacrifice God wants is a love that flows out of a broken heart, and an attitude of constant repentance, and the continued offering of sacrifices of righteousness. Choosing always to go God’s way, continually living for God 24/7 especially when it would be so much easier to simply do his own thing.
Repentance is a word and a truth that is very much neglected in the modern church, it is as much a word to Christians as well as unbelievers. it has been said repentance is not just saying sorry, and having a cry it is turning around and deliberately (with God’s help) walking away from that sin with a determination NOT to commit it again.
The late Mother Basilea Schlink a German Lutheran nun wrote a book entitled “Repentance the joy filled life”, like a grass bowling ball we have a bias (our sinful nature) so we must CHOOSE constantly to do the Father’s will, and not yield to our depraved nature, then we can live and walk in the joy of the Lord, experiencing His grace and love and goodness.That is why we must lay on the altar of surrender so our old nature is then “rendered powerless”.
To many Preachers give David a bad rap, yes he sinned but he genuinely repented.  Look at 1Kings 15:5
BECAUSE DAVID DID WHAT WAS RIGHT IN THE EYES OF THE LORD AND HAD NOT TURNED ASIDE FROM ANYTHING THAT  HE COMMANDED HIM ALL THE DAYS OF HIS LIFE EXCEPT IN THE MATTER OF URIAH THE HITTITE.
Yes, David failed, but he REPENTED (and turned around)  and for the rest of his life by the grace of God lived an exemplary life. Repentance is a powerful word and experience, I guess we have all failed the Lord, and cannot easily forget those sins, BUT because of our repenting , and an increased understanding that the grace of God is NOT a licence a sin, but the enabling of God to live above sin.
I quoted John Piper in my blog this morning, “so many in the Christian church are having a love affair with the world” Jesus rebuked the Ephesian church in Revelation 2:4  because they had LEFT their first love, some preachers say LOST, but when we sin we walk away from our first love, and must do as Jesus told them, they must REPENT (TURN BACK), we return to our first love. If they don’t the consequences will be hard to bear.
Let us not play at church, and play at being a Christian, let us not compromise and make excuses, but live according to the Word of God.
Is the above a hard teaching? We are living in such momentous days we need to see a holy church, influencing and effecting our world.
Do you agree?????